Stuart Reid
Diamond-like carbon thin films have emerged as durable, chemically stable optical coatings for many optical and optoelectronics applications due to their hardness, chemical inertness, and optical transparency. This paper presents a novel…
A novel high-energy electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion beam deposition (IBD) technique was used to fabricate DLC films at different ion beam energies. The ratios of sp2/sp3 bonding in the DLC coatings were determined by Raman…
To deliver on the promise of next generation gravitational-wave observatories, a sustained and coordinated detector research and development program is required. This report examines in detail the wide range of nearer- and longer-term…
The detection of gravitational waves from compact binary mergers by LIGO has opened the era of gravitational wave astronomy, revealing a previously hidden side of the cosmos. To maximize the reach of the existing LIGO observatory…
Over-dispersed count data typically pose a challenge to analysis using standard statistical methods, particularly when evaluating the efficacy of an intervention through the observed effect on the mean. We outline a novel statistical method…
Significant progress has been made in recent years on the development of gravitational wave detectors. Sources such as coalescing compact binary systems, neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries, stellar collapses and pulsars are all…
Reducing thermal noise from optical coatings is crucial to reaching the required sensitivity in next generation interferometric gravitational-waves detectors. Here we show that adding TiO$_2$ to Ta$_2$O$_5$ in Ta$_2$O$_5$/SiO$_2$ coatings…
Current interferometric gravitational wave detectors (IGWDs) are operated at room temperature with test masses made from fused silica. Fused silica shows very low absorption at the laser wavelength of 1064 nm. It is also well suited to…